1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing system and, more particularly, to a data processing system adapted to make a real-time display of animating image data generated by numerical computation and so on or by image processing.
2. Description of Related Art
In an image processing system by a data processing unit, when an image data which is generated by computation of data processing including image processing by programming on a host computer is displayed on a display unit, the image data is transferred from a main storage of the host computer through a standard input/output interface such as RS-232C to a display terminal unit having an image memory and the image data stored in the image memory is displayed on the display terminal unit. In an image data processing system using a display terminal unit with data processing capabilities, an original data of an image data to be generated by computation is transferred from the main storage of the host computer through a standard input/output interface to the display terminal unit with data processing capabilities and with an image memory. In the display terminal unit, the original data of the image data is processed by the display terminal unit in the image memory in a working area to generate display image data, and a display image of the resulting display image data in turn is displayed on the display terminal unit.
As a display terminal unit capable of displaying such an image data, a graphic display unit with a three-dimensional image generating function has been developed and is currently available on the market.
The image processing system using the data processing unit as have been described hereinabove may display on a variety of display screens of physical properties of an object by computation of data processing. The data processing includes image processing in analyzing physical properties of the object and the like. However, a conventional image processing system does not have sufficient data processing capabilities for animating image processing. Animating image processing executes the data processing attendant upon the image processing for displaying as animating images a state of the object periodically or in a course of time. In such animating image processing the object is transformed into various forms upon influences of various stresses and a state of periodical changes in circumstances in which a fluid field with the object in its fluid exerts influences upon the object and the object is transformed into various forms causing a turbulence in the fluid field.
In the field of designing airplanes, automobiles and the like, an image processing system has been strongly demanded which has an animating image display function capable of displaying on a screen in real time a dynamic variation in air flows in order to design shapes of airplane and vehicle bodies by analyzing influences of characteristics of fluid dynamics upon the shapes of airplane and vehicle bodies.
Recently, there has been developed a data processing system, such as a supercomputer, which is provided with sufficient data processing capabilities and can process a real-time numerical calculation for analysis processing of objects and dynamic variations of fluids. Accordingly, a system structuring using a supercomputer for numerical computation of the analysis processing, image generation processing and so on permits a computation of variations of an object in time and circumstances and of physical phenomena upon the object with a considerably high speed and accuracy. Its image display processing capabilities, however, are insufficient for displaying as animating images in real time a tremendous amount of computation results obtained as a result of the data processing by programs, which indicates a periodical variation in the object and circumstances outside the object. As a result, the data processing by programs cannot display the computation results of analysis as animating images so that there are seen cases where each of a plurality of graphic display screens is photographed by a 16 mm camera or by a video camera and photographs are reproduced as animating graphics. This presents great difficulties in research on dynamic changes of the object.
As have been described hereinabove, the image processing system by the data processing unit with sufficient data processing capabilities is insufficient in capabilities of the image display processing so that, even if a system could be structured using an image processor, such as a supercomputer, capable of generating an animating image data in a real time with high speeds, the capabilities of the image display processing is so insufficient that the animating image generated at high speeds cannot be displayed in a real time, and images displayed are restricted to static images or graphics animated at very low speeds.